At CC's home, comfort and creativity coexist

Sabathias found perfect place to raise their children, base off-field business

By Mark Newman / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- "Comfortable" is how CC Sabathia describes his home life, a short drive from the office at Yankee Stadium.

Sabathia and his wife, Amber, take fans on a virtual tour through their sumptuous -- and often busy -- abode as MLB.com introduces a new video series, Home Field Advantage presented by Coldwell Banker. You will get a rare look at the inner sanctums of today's Major League Baseball stars.

"My idea of home is just being with the family and just somewhere comfortable," Sabathia said. "We found a great place. I just think we wanted a place where we could be stable, somewhere we could call home and be able to raise our kids a long time."

Sabathia, currently on the 15-day disabled list while evaluating the cause of his right knee inflammation, lives only 20 minutes away from his ballpark, if the traffic is light. Nestled up there in the Palisade cliffs along the Hudson River is a sprawling home where the winningest active left-hander finds solace and "balance" with Amber and their four children, Carsten Charles III, Jaeden, Cyia and Carter.

"We have four beautiful kids," Amber said. "We could live in a one-bedroom apartment. As long as we're together, we're at home."

In the tour of this home, you will get a good look at the pitcher's estimable trophy collection on the way to 208 career wins -- and maybe a surprise when you see what he shows off first.

"I think the coolest trophy I have in here is the Warren Spahn," Sabathia said, referring to the MLB-wide award he received in 2007-09 from the Oklahoma Sports Museum. "It's based on pure numbers. They don't go off votes or anything like that. It's just who was the best left-hander in the big leagues that year. So it's kind of a pure thing. I really like that."

Then Sabathia proudly points out another piece of hardware he earned in 2007, after going 19-7 and leading the Indians toward a deep postseason run: "The Cy Young that I won in 2007, it's just the ultimate award for a pitcher to be able to win in the big leagues."

For a power couple that is extremely active in the community and in business beyond the field, this is the base where a lot of planning happens.

"My office is Yankee Stadium, right there on the mound," he said. "That's where I take care of most of my business. I have an office here, too, that I share with her, but she pretty much takes that over."

"I always say that during the season, we're at Yankee Stadium. But during the offseason is kind of my season," Amber said. "That's when I really take him and I get him involved, and I have him out there working outside of the pitcher's mound. Every day we meet in the office, we go over things. The PitCCh In Foundation, we've done a great event that we've put on annually, the CC Challenge, which is our biggest fundraiser. We're able to actually fundraise being here, and change costs. So to make a change and be here in New York, is just all tied into one great package for us."

With her husband's full support, Amber is creator of the popular CCandy line of youth apparel at the MLB.com Shop, and "Home Field Advantage" shows how that comes together starting in the Sabathias' "tech room." All four kids get their own desks in there.

"I was never into fashion, but I was in the right place at the right time," Amber said. "So that's also where I do some of my design work, where I go through samples, it's my 'mommy mogul' area, is what I call it. I'm up there, I can have the four kids home from school, they can do their homework, mommy can do her work and I can kind of multitask all in one.

"I'm just so blessed and so thankful that we are where we are, and we live here in [the New York metro area], we have this beautiful home. But just balancing that is just love, and keeping us all together. Everything else just falls into place and works out."

Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com. Read and join other baseball fans on his MLB.com community blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.